Containers used in the storage, transportation and dispensation of flowable material have been around for as long as civilization itself. The use of such containers, however, has always been limited by (1) the weight, density and other physical properties of the material being stored and (2) by the process and type of container used to store the material.
Traditional filling processes and containers have long been encumbered by a simple phenomenon that has exasperated consumers for decades--settling. Settling, as any purchaser of a bag of potato chips knows, means the bag is never completely filled when opened. This occurs due to the settling of the product inside during its filling and shipment. This simple settling phenomenon causes tremendous economic waste each year because of the misuse of storage space and container material. This has been particularly true in the storage, transportation and dispensation of flowable material in semi-bulk quantities such as grains, chemicals and other bulky substances stored in flexible bulk containers, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,143,796 and 4,194,652.
It has long been known that the settling process is caused by the natural aeration of flowable material as the material is placed inside a container. As the container is shipped to its final destination, the air escapes from the aerated material causing the product to compact and reduce in volume. Thus, when the container is opened, the flowable material has settled to the bottom of the container, i.e. the bag of potato chips is only half full.
Any process or system, such as the present invention, for storing material in a container for shipment that allows all of the container to be filled with product and eliminates the excess air results in an enormous cost savings. Indeed, the shipment of smaller sized containers using vacuum-sealed packages such as, e.g., vacuum-sealed coffee containers, has alleviated many of the above problems of cost and time.
Although vacuum-sealed packaging has proved to be an efficient, cost-saving and consumer-pleasing method of shipping small quantities of goods, before now, it has been impossible to apply such techniques to other areas of storage, transportation and dispensation of flowable material. This has been particularly true in the market for semi-bulk flowable material.